Title: Nullus Reverto Tergum
Author: Emily Carter (carter.emily/tucker529)
Beta: Flynn
Words: 2,088
Time-line: Roman Holiday
Pairing: Chuck Bass/Blair Waldorf (hints of Blair Waldorf/Nate Archibald)
A/N: Nullus Reverto Tergum is Latin for No Return Back, which is because, well, Latin doesn't do English words like I wish it did, they don't have Never Coming in there, so I had to... figure out a different way to show what I meant. No Return Back ended up being that.
This is one of the few stories that I feel has a missing scene, although I'm not planning on including in this part, it'll be included in part 2.5 due to it's nature, and set into a completely different 'story' so it can stand alone. When this part is done, this story is done, at least for the time being.
When I first wrote this story, I intended it to be a one-shot, but after popular demand, it quickly became a two-shot, which I have now fashioned to feel more like two-shot that a one-shot-unexpectedly-turned-into-a-two-shot. Which is what I felt when I reread through this story. In all respect, I love Gossip Girl and their plot development, but there will always be a part of me that wishes Blair had dumped Nate completely from her life a lot sooner than she managed, which is where this story comes in, so I would appreciate if you didn't point out that, obviously, Blair slept with Nate. Chuck didn't come back from Monaco until somewhere after Christmas and didn't go back to Blair. I realize that, but it's alternate universe, and I hold my breath for next season in hopes that our favorite couple will be together.
Blair sat in her room staring at her computer screen, silently scrolling through text messages that she had sent to her e-mail address over the years.
Can you believe that we're freshman, B?
What's wrong? What'd Nate do?
You want me to help him pick out your birthday gift? B, the two of you have been going out forever, he should know what you want.
Okay, okay, I give, you know I can't resist you.
I had plans for tonight, but I suppose that I can ditch them for someone even prettier than my date.
Even up to more recent ones that made her heart ache even more than it was at the current moment, causing her to remember the time that they had managed to snatch up together before she had chosen to ruin it all.
Are you with him right now?
What'd I tell you about wanting it rough?
Miss you already. Smack him for making you leave early.
As Blair read the last one, tears started to form in her eyes and run down her cheeks. That had been the last message that they had shared before the debutante ball and her alienation of him as a result of her stupidity. Sniffing, Blair snatched her cell phone up from the folds of her covers, only making it as far as Chuck? Before she couldn't continue typing at the sight of his name. Quickly scrolling through her recent contacts, Blair sent it before pull a pillow from beside her and burying her face into it, letting the tears run freely down her face.
Pulling her face away from the pillow for a moment, she held the phone in her hand before clicking her way into her text messages, staring at the last one that Chuck had sent to her, almost fourteen hours ago, I don't think that I'm going to come back. Blair's tears started up anew, beginning to sped up and stream down her face, bring streaks of mascara with them, wondering if he really meant that he didn't think that he was going to come home, even now that he knew she hadn't slept with Nathaniel. Whether or not she was going to manage to have a chance to fix the mistake that she had made at the ball, and with Nate.
Closing her eyes for a moment and burying her face back into one of her pillows, she let the mascara and tears stain the cover, not caring that it would be near impossible for Dorota to get out in the morning. Still grasping her phone in her hand, she barely jumped when the phone began to vibrate, but pulled her face away from the pillow quickly, flipping the phone open and staring at the screen a moment before the words registered in her mind, Do you have any champagne?
Looking at the screen for a moment, Blair jumped off her bed, carefully to make as little noise as possible before grabbing a robe and walking down to the kitchen. Shuffling through the entryway, Blair entered the kitchen and walked towards the large refrigerator that they had. Moving Christmas dinner dishes around, Blair quickly found a bottle of champagne before pulling it out and prancing back up to her room to reply to the text.
Of course we do, Bass, what kind of question is that? She typed out, trying to sound as detached from the situation as possible and add her quick wit to the remark. Blair sat down on her bed and stared at the screen, willing it to signal another new message before she closed her eyes and prayed for a moment that it meant he was coming home.
Feeling the phone vibrate again, Blair set the bottle of champagne down on her nightstand before quickly opening her phone and watching at the text message opened it self. Care to join me at the Palace for a drink?
A few moments later, the words sunk into her mind, and she jumped up, rushing into her closet, she grabbed a jacket that covered her nightgown and stripped the robe off and pulled the jacket on over her shoulders, quickly buttoning it, she grabbed a purse and stuffed her wallet and the bottle of champagne into it before slipping on a pair of light green heals. Fluffing her hair for a moment in the mirror, Blair grabbed a post-it note and a pen, scribbling a message to her mother and father that she was over at Serena's and to not worry before sticking it on her door and quietly shutting it.
As her heals clicked down the steps, Blair smiled for a moment before pulling her phone out of her jacket pocket and scrolling down the contacts towards a cab company. Standing in the elevator as it slowly went down towards the ground floor, she stared at the number for the cab company, inwardly debating whether or not to take a cab, or to go back up to her room and continue to wallow in self-pity. Hearing the elevator ding, and the doors slide open, she lifted her head up and walked into the lobby.
Chuck Bass stood outside his limo, leaning against the door while weighing the options of how to see Blair Waldorf. The option of going up and seeing her was out of the question due to the lateness and the fact that her mother was in town for Christmas. The only other two options available to him would take time, one more than the other; he could either wait until the morning to see her or he could contact her and request her presence at the Palace, effectively surprising her if she was willing to go for a midnight outing.
Settling on the more appealing second option, Chuck pulled his cell phone from his slack's pocket and quickly going into the text message feature, Do you have any champagne? He quickly typed before scrolling down to Blair's name and clicking on her number, inserting it into the small box. Holding his breath, he closed his eyes and pushed the button to send the message to her. A few minutes later, Chuck's phone began to vibrate and ring, signaling him that he had a new text message in his inbox, quickly selecting it, he watched as the words appeared on the screen.
Of course we do, Bass, what kind of question is that?
Care to join me at the Palace for a drink? He questioned, trying to keep the conversation as casual as possible before letting his eyes flick towards her floor, searching for glimpse of her in one of the windows. Smiling for a moment, he settled in, waiting for a message or some kind of acknowledgement from her, he let himself relax more against the limo, quietly waiting for her.
When five minutes passed, Chuck began to worry himself that she wasn't going to come and that she was too mad with him to allow him to have a hold over her so easily. Feeling himself tense up at that thought, he took a slow deep breath, letting it out even slower in his attempt to get his body to relax. Inhaling for a moment before exhaling, he looked towards the entrance to her penthouse, once again inwardly debating just going up there to see her. As he started to move in order to gain access to the penthouse, a female form exited from underneath the covered entrance, she waved at the attendant and the man quietly asked her if she would like him to call a cab for her. Thinking for a moment, the woman nodded as the man lowered his head towards her for a moment before saying, "I'll be right back, Miss Waldorf."
Smiling, Chuck stood up and started to walked up behind Blair, "Well, Miss Waldorf, may I offer you a ride to wherever you're going?" he whispered in her ear as she jumped away from him.
"Chuck?" She said quietly after turning around. Slowly nodding, he looked at her skeptically, wondering if she thought that she was seeing a ghost. Blair smiled, taking a step towards him before wrapping her arms around his middle and resting her head on his shoulder before backing up again and looking at him. "You said that you weren't coming home, Bass," she said while lightly tugging on his trademark scarf, frustration and glee coming through in her voice, signaling Chuck that the surprise had been good, but had caused her unnecessary worry. She allowed her eyes to meet his, showing the hurt, joy, and a bit of betrayal in them before focusing her eyes back towards his feet and the concrete ground, but causing Chuck to notice that her eyes were slightly red and puffy, as though she'd been crying.
"I know," Chuck said, speaking at a normal level for a moment before Blair looked behind her, trying to judge whether or not they had angered anyone in the neighborhood.
"Why did you say that?"
"I thought that surprising you would be a better idea?" Chuck said skeptically, starting to worry about the coldness that was coming through in her voice that now replaced the glee that had been there only moments before.
"Don't you ever tell me that you're not coming home again. Got that, Bass?"
"Whatever you say, Waldorf," Chuck said smiling. He quickly reached his arms out, and pulled her towards her, wrapping his arms around her petite body, engulfing her before laying a kiss in her hair and barely stepping back, trying to get a good look at her face. "Care to head back to the Palace now, B?"
"We still need to talk," she said, nuzzling her face into his neck for a moment.
"I know."
Chuck reluctantly let go of her and stepped back, holding onto her hand and opening the door of the limo, letting her step in between him and the limo and slide in before him and then slid in himself, quietly closing the door behind him. Smirking for a moment at the memories that were made in the limo between the two of them, Blair glared at him for a moment, knowing what was on his mind.
"Don't get any funny ideas, Chuck, you have no idea how much trouble you're in," she said, shoving his shoulder, causing him to smash into the door.
"No, what have I told you about wanting it rough, Waldorf?"
She smiled for a moment before turning her head towards the window, watching the buildings pass by as they sped towards their destination. Every once in a while, Blair would glance back over at Chuck, trying to keep him from noticing, but giving him the same look that she had when he was giving her a ride home from Victrola. Just as Chuck began to scoot towards her and angle his body to cradle hers, they pulled up to the Palace, causing Chuck to groan before stepping out and holding his hand out to Blair to help her step out. He turned and nodded to the driver, who was pulling the bags out of the trunk before Chuck was handed them and walked slowly into the Palace next to Blair.
The couple walked in silence into the building, only mumbling greetings when they were addressed by the staff, "Hello, Mr. Bass. Miss Waldorf." The two continued in silence to the elevator that would take them up towards Chuck's suite, quietly waiting at the doors after Blair had quickly pushed the button, smiling over at Chuck when she realized how childish it was to desire to push the button for an elevator. Hearing the doors ding, the two stepped into the elevator, watching as the doors closed behind them; standing inside for a moment, Blair suddenly launched herself at Chuck, latching her lips onto his, momentarily stunning Chuck Bass before he began to respond.
Before he had a chance to back her against the wall, Blair pulled away, lifting her hand to touch her lips for a moment before backing up and looking towards the floor. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that," she quietly said from the other side of the small elevator.
Chuck's head shot up and looked at her for a moment before taking two steps towards her and assaulting her lips with his, both responding with equal vigor. He pulled away for a moment, but only to tell her that they were going to be fine, regardless.
